ioo THE WAY OF A TROUT WITH A FLY 



making an almost invisible ring, and putting up a single 

 bubble as he sucked in the fly, proved to be a sixteen-inch 

 fish in beautiful fettle. He scaled two pounds one ounce 

 when weighed in the evening. 



The next fish was taking in a similar place and in similar 

 style. After being covered several times he came up and 

 fastened, and after an extraordinarily brilliant fight came 

 to net — one pound four ounces. The next fish I rose and 

 missed — entirely my own fault. Then, almost in the spot 

 where I had taken my second trout the previous day, I saw 

 what looked to me like an exceptionally fine trout move 

 across an open patch. I changed my fly and put on an 

 Ogden's Hare's ear. While I was doing so he rose. He 

 put up a second time within a couple of inches of my fly, 

 and a third time a couple of casts later to take it. He 

 weighed one and. a half pounds that evening when I got 

 in. Here the river bent so as to receive the full force of 

 the north-wester up the next stretch, and I turned down 

 again to get to the main. On my way I found one trout 

 only rising, but he was willing, and made up my three 

 brace as the clock struck two. I walked some way up 

 the main, but did not see another fish rise, whether trout 

 or grayling. 



A curious contrast these two days ! The first, the 

 colder of the two, the rise began earlier and went on till 

 after six, and the grayling were on all the time. The 

 second, the milder day, was entirely a trout day, and the 

 rise beginning at 11.30 was all over by two o'clock. The 

 same flies were on both days. Why this contrast ? 



4. THE RED QUILL. 



" The Red Quill is the sheet anchor of the dry-fly fisher- 

 man on a strange river." Thus authority— and it is true 

 enough. Yet in all the years of my fishing I have never 



